The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1887-12-22
The Plumed knight
Pays his Respects to the Fat Man
from Buffalo!


America is country of contrasts.
The character of the population, made
up as it is from all nationalities and
all people, make it scene of sharply
defined differences as well as antago-
nistic views. But we venture the as
sertion that the American people nev-
er beheld two characters that present
ed greater contrast than is presented
by James G.. Blaine and Grover Cleve-
land. The former brilliant, quick, a
perfect ideal of the true American
character; the latter dull, slow, a
mere fgure-head to party that never
accomplished any good thing. Mr..
Cleveland has given the country an
''issue'-that of Free Trade. It is
the best thing the Democratic party
has to offer. Read what Mr.. Blaine
has to say regarding this issue:
It was taken in shorthand under
the direction of the Tribune's Paris
correspondent and sent by cable to-
night. It is as follows.
Il have been reading an abstract of
the Presidents message and have been
especially interested in the comments
of the London papers. Those papers
all assume to declare the message is a
free-trade manifesto and evidently are
anticipating an enlarged market for
English fabrics in the United States
as consequence of the Presidents
recommendations Perhaps that fact
stamped the character Of the message
more clearly than any words of mine
can"
"You don t mean actual free trade
without duty?' queried the reporter.
mo" replied Mr.. Blaine, NOR do
the London papers mean that. They
simply mean that the President has
recommended what, in the United
States, is known as a revenue tariff,
rejecting the protective feature as an
object andlnot even permitting protec-
tion TO result freely as an incident to
revenue duties
Il don't know that [ quite compre-
hend that last point said the reporter.
II mean," said Mr.. Blaine, that
for the first time in the history Of the
United States the President recon-
mends retaining the internal tax in
order that the tariff may be forced
down even below the fair revenue
standard. He recommends that the
tax on tobacco be retained and thus
that many millions annually shall be
levied on domestic product which
would far better come from a tariff
on foreign fabrics"
ss'Then do you mean to imply that
you would favor the repeal Of the
tobacco tax?''
Certainly; [ mean just that" said
Mr.. Blaine. Il should urge that it
be done at once, even before the
Christmas holidays. 1t would in the
first place bring great relief to grow
ers of tobacco all over the country,
and would, moreover, materially lesson
the price Of the article to consumers.
Tobacco, to millions of men, is "a
necessity. The President calls it a
luxury, but it is a luxury in no other
sense than tea and coffee are luxuries.
1t is we'll to remember that the lux
urY Of yesterday becomes necessity
of to-day. Watch, if you please, the
number of men at work ON the farm,
in the coal mine, along the railroad,
in the iron foundry, or in any calling,
and you will find 95 to 100 chewing
while they work After each meal
the same proportion seek the solace of
a pipe OF cigar. These men not only
pay the millions of the tobacco tax,
but pay on every plug and every cigar
an enhanced price, which the tax
enables the manufacturer and retailer
to impose. The only excuse for such
tax is the actual necessity under
which the government found itself
during the war, and the years imme-
diately following. To retain the tax
now in order to destroy the protec-
ton which would incidentally flow
from raising the same amount Of
money on foreign imports, is certain
ly most extraordinary policy for
our government"
"Well, then. Mr.. Blaine, would
you advise the repeal Of the whisky
tax also?"
mo, | would not. Other considera-
tions than those of financial admins
tration are to be taken into account
with regard to whis ky. There is a
moral side to it. To cheaper the
price of whisky is to increase the
.consumption enormously. There
would be no sense in urging the re-
form wrought by high license in many
states if the national government
neutralizes the good effect by making
whisky within reach of everyone at
90 cents gallon. Whisky would be
everywhere distilled if the surveillance
Of the government were withdrawn
by the remission Of the tax, and illicit
sales could not then be prevented even
by policy as rigorous and searching
as that with which Russia pursues
the nihilists. 1t would destroy high
license at once in all the states.
Whisky has done a vast deal of harm
in the United States. | would try to
make it do some good. | wonld use
the tax to fortify our cities on the
seaboard. In view Of the powerful
letter addressed to the Democratic
party on the subject of fortifcation
by the late Mr. Samuel J. Tilden, in
1885, | am amazed that no attention
has been paid to the subject by the
Democratic administration. Never
before in the history of the world has
any government sallowed great cities
on the seaboard, like Philadelphia,
New York. Boston, Baltimore, New
Orleans and San Francisco, to remain
defenseless.
"But," said the reporter, ''you don't
think we are to have war in any direc-
tion?''